


Never Been Blood

by Molly_Hats



Category: Batman (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: But here have a fic of Bette and Dami bonding before the decision is inevitably reversed, Gen, Minor Swearing, Talia did the best she could, This “revelation” is stupid, on so many levels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 18:27:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15200798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Molly_Hats/pseuds/Molly_Hats
Summary: Damian is distraught over finding out his father is Deathstroke.  Bette, as the lone Kane or Wayne to acknowledge she’s related to Slade, highly doubts the truth of the revelation but visits to offer comfort to her favorite Baby Bat.





	Never Been Blood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flamebirds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamebirds/gifts).



“Hi, Al. Where’s Dami?” Bette asked as she entered the manor. 

Alfred raised an eyebrow, but said, “Master Damian is in his room.”

“Thanks!” She said, hurrying off.

“He requested to be alone,” Alfred warned her. 

“Uh huh.” She stopped and turned back, crossing her arms. “Who else has been in there?”

“Master Dick left on Titans business yesterday, so no one. I’m told there are traps.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Bette said. “Thanks for the heads up!”

Alfred nodded as she turned and walked out of sight. 

Several tripwire and pressure pad deactivations later, Bette tentatively knocked on the door before opening it without waiting for an answer. “Hi, Baby Bat!” she said cheerfully as ever.

“Don’t call me that,” Damian said. He stared sullenly out through the window at the estate from his seat on the bed. Unusually, none of his pets were around him. Apparently he was worse than she’d feared.

She sat down next to him, head and shoulders taller than him. “What should I call you, then?”

Damian scowled. “Leave me alone.”

“If you say so, Leave Me Alone,” Bette teased. 

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Damian snarled.

Bette’s face straightened. “I know,” she said with new seriousness. She leaned back. “You know, I lived with Slade for awhile. His wife was my guardian. So I’d say I know him better than most of, if not all of, this family.”

Damian continued to scowl downwards, but Bette sensed his interest and continued. “He’s an asshole.” 

Damian froze, as if by holding still and barely even breathing he could prompt her to keep talking.

She shrugged and leaned forward to look into his eyes. “Not much else to say. He sucks at interpersonal relationships. Not in a Bruce way, where he, you know, _tries_. More like Tim’s dad, where his kids are like action figures. He gets jealous if they’re doing good without him and then sabotages everything so that they spend time with him.”

Damian made a tutting noise.

“He’s not your dad, you know,” she added.

“According to the records which we verified through multiple—“

Bette waved a hand. “He’s not your dad. Your real dad. This family has never been about blood, Dami. Even if you originally thought your place here was determined by it, it’s beyond that.”

“It was a lie,” Damian said, his voice coming out younger. He sniffed. “Everything Mother said was a lie.”

Bette made a derisive huffing noise. “Jason Todd is dead.” She began ticking off things on her fingers as Damian stared at her. “Bruce Wayne is an idiot playboy. Tim’s last name is Drake.” She met his eyes as she uncurled her pinkie finger and tapped it. “Damian is Bruce Wayne’s biological son.” 

Damian’s gaze finally shifted to stare at her pinkie, as if her words were written on it. He looked up at her, his expression impossible to decipher. 

She lowered her hands to rest on the bed. “Dami, this family we’ve made is built on lies and secrets and misdirections. But if that lie was what it took for you to join our family, then I’m glad. I’m only sad that it’s having such a huge impact on you.”

Carefully, she reached out, placing a hand on his back. When he didn’t pull away, she lunged into a full on hug, squeezing him tightly. After a few moments, she felt his stubby little arms wrap around her, too. “I love you, Baby Bird,” she whispered. She raised her voice to normal volume as she said, “And if Deathstroke comes anywhere near you or tries to contact you, tell me, okay? Even if he tells you not tell anyone or they’re in danger, I don’t count as someone.”

“You _are_ someone,” Damian said, almost indignant.

Bette almost laughed in delight. “Thanks, Dami,” she said, letting go of him. “Still. Tell me, okay? Promise.”

Damian sighed. “I promise.”

She grinned. “Thanks. Now, where’s Titus?”

As Damian headed down the hallway, Bette lagged behind, opening her phone and clicking the contact “Sour Patch.” Barely looking, she typed out a quick message.

“ **Hi, Slade! Just a quick FYI, if you try to contact or hurt Damian in any way, I’ll hunt you down and finish what Addie started with considerably more creativity. Hope you’re having a nice day! —Bette**.”

Satisfied, she hit “send,” clicked her phone off, and tucked it into her pocket, scurrying after Damian towards his menagerie.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly I think I’m more faithful to the Bette Kane continuity neobatgirl and I almost completely made up than most comic writers tbqh. 
> 
> Speaking of, this decision is stupid and if Deathstroke gets close to Damian and tries to pull the character-wrecking bs he did with Rose and Cass it will be the last freaking straw.


End file.
